The Princess's Stepbrother
by Korean Boron-Paper Stars
Summary: The king of Alfitaria and the wife of the Black Knight need someone new in their life. When an accidental meeting in the street puts these two unlikely lovers together, their children must adjust to their new... chaotic lifestyle.
1. It's a Sad Day for Everyone

The Princess's Stepbrother

A/N: Hello, everyone! Remember me? Yeah, I'm sure you have, since I've been updating "Cilnea Crystal Chronicles" recently. For those of you who are waiting patiently for my story with the princess, sorry, you'll need to wait a little longer. Romance isn't my best point, and I think the first two chapters are bad. In the meantime, enjoy this new story!

A/N 2: Also, this story has no parallels to the other story with the princess. The selkie from Leuda the princess loves isn't in this story, and no original characters exist in this story whatsoever. I will not give the king a name, as I do not know his real name. And so on.

Disclaimer: I own nothing. The end.

ΑΒΓΔΕΖΗΘΙΚΛΜΝΞΟΠΡΣΤΥΦΧΨΩΪΫ

Chapter 1: It's a Sad Day for Everyone

The king of Alfitaria looked out his window at the city below him and sighed drearily. His people looked so happy to the king. He watched the people of the city argue amongst themselves jokingly and converse about whatever they felt was necessary. The sun was shining above Alfitaria, its rays soothing all who felt it.

Not the king, though. He stood at the window sadly. He couldn't feel the direct warmth of the sun's rays, only their warmness as the sun heated the window he had put his hand on. But not even a million rays of the sun could cheer him up today.

Today was the day that his fair wife had passed away. His wife was a clavat, whilst the king had been a lilty. But they had loved each other very much and had produced the first hybrid child in all of history, a beautiful girl by the name of Fiona. The king found it harder and harder to look at his daughter without remembering his wife; Fiona was the spitting image of her mother.

The king turned away from the window, unable to look down upon his subjects . . . At all the happy families. Why, there was a family of lilties coming out of a house now. The father had his arm around the mother while she held the hand of her youngest child. The older child was walking backwards, trying to get her parents' attentions. They were all very happy, as the king had once been.

_I miss you truly, my love,_ the king thought, closing his eyes. An image of his wife before her death came into his mind. _Why did you have to leave?_

He couldn't take it anymore. Suddenly, everything around the palace filled him with memories of his beloved. He couldn't stay in the palace any longer today. The king had decided to take a walk around his city. Surely the guards couldn't object to that.

_And besides, dear Fiona must be taking today very hard as well,_ the king reasoned, remembering that his daughter had been nowhere in sight that day. _I suppose I should stay out of her way today._

The king had made up his mind. He called for his loyal guard, Knocfelna, who came stumbling into the throne room. Knocfelna saluted to the king awkwardly, but then was knocked down by his dog.

"Forgive me, your highness," Knocfelna muttered, embarrassed. He stood up straight in front of his king and continued, "Is there something you request of me?"

"Yes," the king answered. "I will be leaving for a walk around town today. I wish for you to accompany me."

"O-of course, sir," Knocfelna stammered out. He saluted to the king again and asked, "When shall you be leaving?"

"Now."

ΑΒΓΔΕΖΗΘΙΚΛΜΝΞΟΠΡΣΤΥΦΧΨΩΪΫ

Jona Esla felt her cheeks starting to hurt as she smiled at the caravanner who had just purchased some meat and milk from her. Once the caravanner was out of sight, Jona let her smile falter slightly. Today was not a happy day for her. She didn't feel like smiling today.

Her eyes wandered to her young son, who was practicing with his spear in the outskirts of town. He looked so happy, but that was understandable. Today, he had slain the legendary Black Knight to avenge his father.

Jona's eyes filled with tears once again. She had never told her son that instead of avenging his father, he had killed him. Yes, the legendary Black Knight, Leon Esla, had been her husband. Her son was named Leon Esla, after his father, who had disappeared long before the younger Leon had been born.

Two clavats of Alfitaria walked up to Jona's tiny food stand and Jona forced a smile back on her face. After the clavats finished their orders, Jona's mind started to wander again.

_My dear Leon, I do wish you were here today,_ she thought as she looked at her son again. _You would have been proud of our son today. He truly loved you, but he didn't know that you were the Black Knight._

She couldn't take it any longer. Today, her house was bringing back more memories than it had been doing so ever since she saw her husband get killed by her son that fateful day. The house she and her son lived in was one that her husband had bought for them and their new baby before the younger Leon was born. Her husband had wanted their son to grow up without being surrounded by miasma, so he had gone on a crazy journey to get rid of the miasma. Jona had begged him not to go, but he had insisted that he could complete the journey.

The next time Jona had seen him was when their son had killed him, but at least he had remembered her.

Jona decided to close shop and take a break for the rest of the day. She couldn't keep a cheery composition anymore.

_Besides, it's such a beautiful day today,_ she thought. _It would be a waste to have to spend it all at work._

ΑΒΓΔΕΖΗΘΙΚΛΜΝΞΟΠΡΣΤΥΦΧΨΩΪΫ

"Make way for the king! Make way for the king!"

The people of Alfitaria cheered loudly as their king strolled through the streets of the city. Ordinary citizens of Alfitaria didn't have any opportunities to see their king and princess in person, so today was truly an occasional day.

The king, in turn, was enjoying himself. The bright smiles of the people and the warmness of the sun had put him in a better mood than before.

_I must bring Fiona out here one of these days,_ he thought as he waved to his people. _She might be happier if she was able to go outside more often._

The king was so preoccupied with his thoughts that he didn't notice the little lilty child who was standing in his path. Well, not until he heard a feminine voice saying, "Leon Esla! You get over here right now!"

"Coming, mom! Coming!" The little lilty child stomped his way to his mom, but then saw the king watching him in amusement. The child gasped. "You're the king of Alfitaria, aren't you?"

"Le-on!" The disgruntled and embarrassed mother grabbed her son's hand and pulled him away from the king's path. Then, she looked at the king apologetically and said, "I'm sorry, my son doesn't know his manners quite yet."

"That's quite all right," the king answered serenely. "No harm done."

Jona Esla was still embarrassed by her son's actions. When she heard the king's footsteps, she guessed that he had forgotten about her and moved on. But when she lifted her face, she saw that the king was still standing in front of her, looking at her in wonder. Their eyes met.

_Forgive me, my love,_ both of them thought simultaneously. Every other thought was banished from their minds as the king and Jona Esla found themselves lost in each other's eyes.

The boy, Leon Esla, observed his mother and the king looking at each other with dreamy eyes. _Ew! Romance!_ The lilty child grimaced in his mind, then decided to practice with his spear once more.

ΑΒΓΔΕΖΗΘΙΚΛΜΝΞΟΠΡΣΤΥΦΧΨΩΪΫ

A/N: Ha, ha! How was that? There's more where that came from!


	2. Meet the Children

Chapter 2

A/N: Okay, it's me again! I know I haven't updated "Cilnea Crystal Chronicles" for a while, but I need to revise it and school, tutoring, and youth advisory council meetings have been eating away at my time. Plus, all that craziness in my life eats away at my creativity, in addition to the fact that I want to work on an original story at the same time. Well, here it is, chapter 2!

ΑΒΓΔΕΖΗΘΙΚΛΜΝΞΟΠΡΣΤΥΦΧΨΩΪΫ

Chapter 2: Meet the Children

Princess Fiona, the heir of the throne of Alfitaria, looked outside her window sadly. It was a bright, sunny day in Alfitaria today, which proved to be a startling contrast to her dark mood. Today was the day her dear mother passed away many years ago.

Fiona sighed and turned away from her window. It was too depressing to look outside. All those happy families and the happy children and happy parents … It was a world that she knew no longer, and she wished not to think of such a time.

There had to be a way to quell the pain. Fiona wanted to go down to Leuda to visit the young selkie that she had met on her adventures. Her father had at first disapproved of her affection for the selkie, who was two years older than she was, but had mellowed out eventually and allowed Fiona to visit the selkie every once in a while, and for him to visit Fiona in Alfitaria.

_Maybe today, I'll ask him to be my boyfriend…_ Fiona thought to herself, mentally giggling at the thought. This idea immediately brightened her face and brought her spirits up. It was settled. She would go to Leuda. _Oh, but I need to bring Knocfelna along._ She sighed, annoyed. Knocfelna never let her do anything. He would never let her crush be her boyfriend. _But hey, I'm the princess,_ Fiona thought. _I should be able to have a selkie for my boyfriend if I want to!_

She walked out of her room with a smile on her face, that thought prevailing in her mind.

ΑΒΓΔΕΖΗΘΙΚΛΜΝΞΟΠΡΣΤΥΦΧΨΩΪΫ

Alfitaria had always made him nervous. Too many people would turn and grimace in his direction, or direct a snarl at him. He thought that he would be used to it by now, having endured it whenever he left Leuda, but the sinking feeling he felt whenever he received an angry look never ceased.

He name was Hajime and he was on his routine visit to Alfitaria. This habit had started about eight months ago, around the time when Princess Fiona returned from her trip abroad.

He had met Fiona when she had visited Leuda, and he had immediately been attracted to her. She was dressed like a selkie, but it was quite rare for a selkie to have blond hair. Only a select few had that colored hair. What had thrown him off even more in determining her race were her blue eyes and the lilty guard that accompanied her. Selkies never had blue eyes; they always had green eyes. But … She was not a clavat either. Clavats had brown eyes. Lilties were the only tribe to have blue eyes … But she did not look like a lilty. Lilties were small, and usually only came up to Hajime's waist; this girl was the of the same height as Hajime, if not a little shorter.

Hajime had felt that the lilty guard accompanying the girl was a wonder of its own. Why would a lilty be accompanying this girl_? An guard of Alfitaria, of all lilties?_ Hajime had wondered. But he soon received his answer. The guard referred to the girl as "your highness." She was royalty. The princess of Alfitaria.

That was all the warning Hajime needed to know that he had to back away from this … this lady of unidentifiable race. But that was quite impossible. A few nights after her arrival, Hajime found himself sitting on the opposite side of a campfire as the princess.

The two of them had talked about the differences in their lifestyles. Hajime had been quite surprised about how Fiona had never seen the outside world, and had spent her entire life inside a dark castle. He couldn't imagine himself in her position. She seemed depressed about what destiny had in hand for her, and Hajime took it upon himself to brighten up her mood. It had apparently worked.

But the one thing that Hajime had been trying to avoid ever since Fiona's arrival had happened soon before her departure: Hajime had fallen in love with the princess. And she had fallen in love with him.

He had spent the first months after Fiona's arrival trying to visit her, but continuously got thrown out. Selkies obviously weren't welcome in Alfitaria, much less, around the princess. But Hajime had, with the help of a selkie merchant that visited Alfitaria yearly, managed to gain the trust of the king and was welcome around Alfitaria. That didn't change the looks that he got from the citizens of the city, but, at least the king approved.

ΑΒΓΔΕΖΗΘΙΚΛΜΝΞΟΠΡΣΤΥΦΧΨΩΪΫ

Leon Esla was bored. So, so bored. His mother had been making faces with the king of Alfitaria for well over an hour! He had wanted to get closer to them, but continuously got shooed away by the guards of Alfitaria, politely, of course, and told that his mother and the king wanted some time alone.

_Who ever thought that Mom would be so interested in the king?_ Leon thought to himself. _Who ever thought that the king would be so interested in Mom?_

The lilty boy was so focused on his training with his spear that he didn't notice the young man walking in his direction. And he didn't notice him until he accidentally got him in the leg with his spear.

"Oh!" The victim of Leon's spear quickly grabbed his leg and bit his lip furiously and crimson fluid oozed down his leg. He gave Leon a pained angry look. "Hey, kid, watch that weapon, will you? It can really hurt a person."

Leon tore his eyes away from the victim's leg and stared into the man's face. His face immediately twisted into a scowl. "Hey! You're a selkie! What are you doing in my city?'

The selkie rolled his eyes. He tore off a bit of cloth from his shirt and started wrapping it around his leg. "I'm allowed to be here, for your information. Now excuse me, please, as I have business." Quietly so the boy couldn't hear, the selkie muttered under his breath, "And, thanks to you, some more business."

"State your business!" Leon proclaimed loudly, thrusting his spear at the selkie's face. "And state your name, too!"

Pushing the rude object aside, the young man said, "Hajime of Leuda, and I'm here to see Princess Fiona _and _get some medical care for the wound you just caused."

"What do you want with the princess?" Leon asked suspiciously.

"Jeez, kid, you don't get out much, do you?" Hajime responded. "I've been coming here for months."

"Liar! I don't believe it!" Leon shouted.

"Look, I don't—!"

"Hajime? What are you doing here?"

Both males turned around to find the source of the voice. There, they saw Princess Fiona in all her glory. Her hair was held up in a neat bun and decorated with a ruby. She wore metal boots and metal gauntlets, but she wore a pink and white dress that reached her knees.

"Who's that?" Leon asked.

"That's the princess!" Hajime retorted, smacking his forehead in exasperation. "Don't you know your own princess?"

"Made a new friend, Hajime?" Fiona asked teasingly, giggling a little.

Hajime didn't say anything. He just tried to hide his bleeding leg. He then saw Knocfelna, Fiona's personal guard with a weird name. He hoped that the sardonic lilty guard wouldn't point out his wounded leg and start criticizing him.

"Hello to you, Hajime," Knocfelna said in a polite but arrogant voice when Fiona glared at him to greet Hajime.

"Likewise," Hajime responded, bowing to both guard and princess. He felt uncomfortable when he did. Bowing was not a custom common to the selkies.

Knocfelna nodded, acknowledging Hajime's response, and turned to Leon Esla. "Who are you, boy?"

"I am not a boy!" Leon took a sharp intake of breath. "I am the great Leon Esla! The slayer of the Black Knight.

"Say what?" Hajime screamed.

"Oh, yes, I remember. I've heard about you." Knocfelna's eyes sparkled in amusement under his helmet. "I had heard that you thrust your spear into him and killed him with one blow."

"Sure did!" Leon answered proudly. "And I brought his armor home as a trophy! Wanna see?"

"When I have time, I will," Knocfelna answered. He was obviously humoring the little boy.

Meanwhile, Hajime was turning a bit pale. "He didn't," he said to Fiona, pointing at the lilty youngster.

"He did!" Fiona draped her arms around Hajime's shoulders.

"Well, how can a—"

"Make way! Make way for the king!"

The princess, the guard, the youngster, and the selkie turned to the direction of the voice. The king and Jona Esla, accompanied by many guards, were approaching the arguing four.

"Father!" Fiona ran to the king and gave him a hug. Then, she turned to Jona Esla and bowed respectfully. "How do you do?"

Jona answered with a bow. "I am fine, your highness."

Hajime and Knocfelna both bowed respectfully and said, "Your highness," although Hajime was noticeably uncomfortable.

Leon simply stared at the surrounding crowd. "Mom! Can we go home now!"

"Leon!" Jona said exasperatedly.

The king of Alfitaria chuckled and said to Leon, "I just want to make an announcement, my boy, then you may be off." He then turned to the streets of Alfitaria and announced, "Citizens of Alfitaria, lend me your ears!"

Everyone in the streets immediately quieted down to hear him.

"Today, I am making one of the most important decisions of my life," the king continued. "For years, our city has gone on without a queen. But no longer will our city have that burden. With respects to my fair first wife …"

Fiona immediately tuned out the rest of her father's speech. _No, no! This can't be happening!_

Knocfelna was puzzled and thoughtful. _Don't tell me that the king is …!_

Jona Esla was blushing even more than she ever thought she could. _He … He couldn't…!_

Leon Esla and Hajime, however, were just confused. _What is the king talking about?_

"Today … I ask Jona Esla to be my wife," the king concluded, taking Jona's hand.

The citizens burst into applause.

ΑΒΓΔΕΖΗΘΙΚΛΜΝΞΟΠΡΣΤΥΦΧΨΩΪΫ

A/N: Well, how was that? Yes, Hajime is the name of the selkie in "Forbidden Love," formerly "Going the Distance." But the two stories are not related.


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